Here is a very interesting question: How can we troubleshoot between having a PDA profile and the necessary demands presented by Lent?

There are a few guiding thoughts to help tailor Lent to the demand-anxious neurotype while keeping the intention and integrity of the season.

Creativity: Try to plan for Lent as a response to a design challenge.  The Church outlines three staple ingredients: Prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  What we do with them, how we bring these to life and in what way, is up to us.

Autonomy: For the most part, we get to decide what we do and how we do it.  The boundaries provided by the Church pertain to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (where we are asked to begin and end the season with meatless fasting), and Fridays during Lent (where we are asked to abstain from meat).  We might think of these as signposts and checkpoints employing the method Our Lord used in preparing for His public ministry to mark off this time as our own period of sacred preparation.  We might also think of how we find ordinary places closed to commemorate certain occasions every year, and, likewise, our regular meal habits are “closed” on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and “partially closed” on regular Fridays during Lent, in commemoration of Our Lord’s sacrifices.

Low-Key: As with everything else, our Lenten practices will be more successful and meaningful if we strive to keep them nonchalant, low-impact and not all that drastic.  Aim for small steps rather than big ambitions.

Short-Term: Yes, Lent is 40 active days (and 46 days all together).  We can still make our plans day by day.  With demand anxiety and time blindness, sustaining anything more than a few days at a time runs the risk of not going well.

Rephrase: Words like “discipline” and “obligation” can be our downfall.  When we come up against these terms, why not turn to a thesaurus, or an etymology reference?  When we realize that “discipline” means “learning” and “obligation” gets its roots from the concept of giving thanks, the sense of demand is lessened.

Flexible terms: Be prepared for multiple contingencies.  Similarly, keep a wide field around the bull’s eye, so that coming close is an acceptable alternative to perfection.

Novelty: Related to creativity, this is a reminder to keep things interesting so that we feel motivated to continue.  Lent does not have to be monotonous.  Change it up often enough to keep going.

Menu approach: Sometimes, there are too many choices.  Sometimes, there is not enough structure.  Yet, too much structure feels confining and restrictive.  One way around this is to make a Lent menu to consult day by day, whereby we strive to balance our practices between variety and predictability.  A menu also allows us to put a check mark next to the things we’ve done so that we can see our progress and where our strengths are.

Spark love: Similar to that other phrase used in a popular and patented home management program, try to keep those things in our routine which “spark love” in our hearts for God, and move on from those things which do not.  Love is a good choice here because it can be both joyful and sacrificial.  When we strive to do things for the sake of love, chances are, these will be things we will find worth doing.

Equivalent substitutions: Many Lenten practices can become prickly, such as dietary changes or trying to give things up which help regulate our functioning.  Being hungry is one thing; being hangry is another.  We are sometimes not able to fast the way others can, and this is where creativity comes to the rescue again.  The idea is not to circumvent what’s difficult, but rather, to decide prudently what is and is not possible.  When we simply cannot fast, we can calculate the equivalent and make an offering with what we can – such as, matching (or exceeding) what we eat that day in a donation to a food pantry, or donating money/time-per-calorie to assist a cause in our area – either in person, or through prayer, remotely.

Pilgrimage: We can’t always make a retreat, keep up with Bible studies or attend prayer services.  We can, however, design our own spiritual pilgrimage in the form of any kind of sequential progression during the Lenten season.  We can move forward on this at our own pace, some days a little and some days a little more, and some days not at all.

Growth mindset: Instead of looking at what we do as pass/fail, growth mindset accepts that we do not yet have all the skills to be successful all of the time, but believe we can gradually move in the direction we want to go.  Essential to this is resolving not to compare ourselves to others or set our progress by others’ standards.  Curiosity, openness, humility and freedom from pressure are our tickets to growing in our spiritual lives as much as in any other area.

May God bless our efforts and reveal His love to us, in all that we do this Lent!